


The Road Trip

by VelvetSky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fourth of July, Old Motels, Road Trip, Sharing a Bed, Small Towns, Steve Rogers's Birthday, summertime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:52:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15135515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetSky/pseuds/VelvetSky
Summary: Steve & Bucky plan a road trip for Steve’s 100th and invite Darcy along.





	1. Day 1 - Apple Pie

**Author's Note:**

> For Steve Rogers’ 100th Birthday Celebration Week!!
> 
> Prompts used to inspire this fic were: Overall prompt of Road Trip. And this particular chapter uses Apple Pie
> 
> So I’m still working on this, hopefully, I’ll have each day’s part done in time. And there might be a Week 2 of the Road Trip, later on, Cause this story only carries them down the coast, not the return trip. Also, thanks go out to @that-wimpy-cowboy-doll for tossing around some thoughts with me for this idea. :D

Cape May was beautiful. They'd arrived the afternoon before, and were leaving first thing the next morning to continue down the Eastern Seaboard. In between, they were seeing some sights and having some food.

"Oh, that looks good. Now I feel like I should have ordered one. Though I'm still not sure I'm hungry enough." The two large slices of apple pie arrived at the table just as Darcy had finished washing down her brunch with some orange juice.

"You can have some of mine." Bucky offered up without a bit of hesitation, he had gone for a bite immediately and the deliciousness of it was still on his face. Including a little crumb of crust that his tongue darted out to claim from the edge of his lip.

Steve nodded immediately while still chewing his first bite. Once his mouth was no longer full, he spoke. "Mine too."

"Oh, I don't want to be eating you guys' food. It's amazing enough to just be along on this trip. I haven't gone anywhere that wasn't Jane's research related in I don't know how long." Darcy wasn't certain how long the guys had been planning their road trip only that it was a month ago that they had asked her one afternoon, when they were all hanging out watching a movie, if she wanted to join them.

Bucky was shaking his head before she'd even finished speaking and nudged his plate a bit closer to the middle of the table. "This is a vacation for all of us. And we're all friends here, right? You're welcome to have some. It's not like we didn't both have huge meals."

"Yeah, neither of us is going hungry if you want to eat half of both our slices. And we can't get sick or get you sick. So, no germs, promise." They all chuckled at the last part of Steve's comment.

"Okay, if you're sure." She picked up her fork and reached in for a bit of Bucky's slice. He was sitting across from her, so it was the one she was looking right at. Not that Steve's was far out of reach next to her. Both men may have simply watched as she took that first taste. Darcy's eyes closed for a long two or three seconds. There was a bit of caramel in the apple pie, plus it had been topped with ice cream. She had to breathe deep a couple of times before finding words. "Oh, that is really, really good."

"I think it's one of the best pies I've ever had." Steve wasn't exaggerating in the least.

"Of course, I don't think we've ever had a pie you made." Darcy had dazzled them both more than once with her baking, so Bucky figured there was a good chance they just hadn't tried whatever she could do.

"Pies are one thing I haven't really done. They always seemed more daunting than cookies or cakes. I sometimes make this cobbler crumble thing, that is possibly pie adjacent, but it's not actually a pie. The crust intimidates me, I suppose." Each guy had taken another bite of their pies, so Darcy figured she could take another, this time, from Steve's plate.

"I know next to nothing about baking. I do however know you seem to be able to do just about anything I've seen you put your mind to. I bet you could if you tried. Not that you have to. I just mean, I think you're more capable than you're giving yourself credit for. You take on a lot of tasks you say you haven't done before, and do them well." Steve shifted slightly in his seat while he shifted his plate at the same time so it was a bit closer to Darcy.

Darcy laughed lightly. "Maybe. Maybe sometime I'll give it a try and see what happens."

"If you decide to, I'll try to help." Bucky had taken a liking to baking and cooking and actually was rather good at it. That was how the three of them had started hanging out in the first place nearly a year earlier. Darcy had been cooking something up in the common kitchen at The Compound and Bucky had been interested in learning some new recipes. Plus he and Steve had already spent weeks admiring her from afar and Bucky finally sucked up the courage to say more than hello to her. "And then if it doesn't come out, you can blame me."

His grin and chuckle said he was joking, but Darcy shook her head seriously at him. "I wouldn't blame you for anything like that. But I wouldn't mind help. Maybe we can find a recipe that seems simple enough for beginners and give it a go, once we're back from this trip."

Steve was just smiling back and forth between Bucky and Darcy. "I'll be happy to eat whatever you two make."

"Sounds good to me. I think we can find something that will come out well." Bucky may have struggled with some things in life, but having confidence in people he cared about was never one of those things. He nudged his plate at Darcy again until she took another bite and he smiled at her.

Darcy flushed as Bucky kept smiling at her while she chewed. It took her a moment to be able to respond verbally. "What? Did I get some on my face?"

"No. You look perfect. I just like seeing you enjoying yourself." Bucky had set his spoon down and had all his focus on her.

She felt another stare on her as the warmth spread from her cheeks all through her body. A glance at her side found Steve licking his lips and smiling at her. It wasn't the first time they had just stared and smiled at her, Darcy simply kept dismissing it by smiling and figuring they were nice, they were her friends. And quietly she got a thrill from feeling for a moment that such men were smiling so warm at her. They didn't leer the way she was used to with most guys, perhaps why she kept writing it off. But her mind was wondering, just a little bit, if there was something more to those smiles and the way they watched her. Was Steve licking his lips simply because of the pie, or something else? What did Bucky mean by she looked 'perfect'? And why was she the only one with a utensil in her hand anymore? Darcy had no idea how many seconds went by before she finally giggled a little and shook her head. "You guys are too good to me."

"That's not true." Steve's expression had shifted from that smile to a more serious narrowing of his eyes.

When she looked across the table Darcy found a similarly soft, yet serious expression on Bucky's face. "You're a good person, you deserve for people to be good to you as well. If we're too overwhelming though, we can try to dial back a little. We don't want to make you uneasy."

"Not uneasy. You guys are amazing." Her response was quick. Putting her fork down and reaching for both of them. Darcy found a hand in each of hers as soon as she reached.


	2. Day 2 - Drawing

They had arrived on the Outer Banks of North Carolina just a couple hours earlier and checked into their motel. It was right on the beach which was very nice. They had gotten adjoining rooms on the second floor facing the ocean that had a cute balcony with a view. They had booked their rooms through the 4th well in advance, to make sure they got rooms, and Steve had made a point to try to get a single room for Darcy and a double for he and Bucky to share. He hadn't been sure at the time how Darcy felt about sharing a room with them. By the time Bucky actually asked her if she had preferences, and found she was fine with whatever rooming arrangements were easiest and fit the budget, Steve had already booked the first few places. Once they hit Charleston though he started booking a double room for all three of them.

Perhaps oddly, it was the fellow with the metal arm insisting they hit the beach after arrival. Of course, Bucky's arm was so high tech that there was no danger of issues with sand, water, or heat, and it had a holographic display so advanced there was almost nothing that could detect it wasn't a real arm. Bucky didn't use all the features that often, but it seemed a time when out on the beach simply to avoid questions when they just wanted to relax. They all dressed down and found a spot to lay out their towels. Bucky was quick to volunteer to help Darcy with her sunscreen while Steve pulled out his sketch pad and started working on something. Darcy was braving the one-piece swimsuit without shorts or anything else over it while both guys had quickly stripped down to just swim trunks. Steve sat a bit apart from them with his pad and pencil while Darcy lounged with her book and Bucky laid back right next to her. 

Darcy had gotten through a couple chapters when she saw Steve looking highly focused on his drawing. "What are you working on?"

"Not yet." Steve spoke, his pencil still moving over paper for a few moments before glancing up to see Darcy on her side watching him. "I mean, I'll show you, but it's not done yet."

"You don't have to show me or tell me. I was just being nosy." Darcy shook her head and waved a hand in the air before lifting her book again. Curiosity got the better of her sometimes, but she didn't like to pry either. 

Bucky had sat up when they started speaking and shot Steve a grin. He was fairly certain he knew what his friend was drawing. "He'll show you when he's finished, and hopefully you'll like it."

"Wait, is it of me?" She had thought he was just drawing the beach or something. There was something exciting and nerve-wracking about the notion that he'd drawn her. Darcy didn't feel like she looked great in photos, so she didn't expect she'd look great in any medium.

"Technically you and Bucky, but yes." Steve spoke soft and slow, a slightly sheepish smile playing at his lips, and a flush he hoped could be blamed on the sun even though he knew it was not the culprit. 

"Okay." Darcy felt the nerves running rampant through her body.

"Is that okay? I probably should have asked first. I'm sorry." Steve froze, clutching the pad, staring at Darcy a bit wide-eyed.

"It's okay. I just never feel like I look good in photos. But maybe a drawing is different." She took a deep breath and smiled, soft and warm, at Steve, watching as his expression relaxed as soon as she did.

"Doll, you always look beautiful. Who made you think something other than that?" Bucky moved to sit up behind her, one hand resting on the towel behind her head.

Darcy shifted and looked over her shoulder to find Bucky was mostly sitting up right behind her. That was a sight, looking right up his chest to his face. "I don't know."

"Well, it's just not true. You always look good." Bucky's hand moved in the air, over her body, a few times trying to find a place to land. Finally coming to rest on his own thigh. His gaze, however, clung to hers.

"I don't. Remember that morning after I fell asleep on your couch last month." Darcy had dozed off during a movie night and woke the next morning, with a pillow under her head, wrapped in a blanket on their couch. They were both awake already, quietly sitting in the kitchen when she headed for the bathroom. They had both smiled warmly at her, despite the chaos of her hair. She had tried to make herself presentable in the bathroom before breakfast, but she definitely didn't think she'd woken up looking good.

"I saw only beauty." Bucky remembered that night and morning well. He had carefully extracted himself from under her head, Steve had done the same from her legs, in order to go to bed which he and Steve agreed seemed the proper thing to do at the time. They had a lot of movie nights before it, but she'd never gotten so tired that she didn't wake right up once they shifted and thus quickly took herself back to her own room at The Compound.

Steve nodded when Bucky spoke, then jumped right in after. "Same. Tousled hair and sleepy eyes do not make you unattractive. I don't know what could. You looked amazing that morning. And you look amazing now. I only hope my drawing captures that. If you want to peek at it now, you can, if you'd feel better."

For once, Darcy turning red out in the sun was not because of the sun. She reached for Bucky's hand, and he immediately grasped hers back and smiled. When she looked back at Steve, all his focus was still on her. "Show me when you're ready. When it's done. I trust you." 

Steve was scooting over anyway to show her. “I’m glad, I want to show you now though. And I hope you do like it.”

Darcy shifted to sit and Bucky helped pull her up. She found herself right between them and they were close. Bucky made no move to pull his hand from hers, and she didn't seem to want to let go. When Steve turned the sketch to her it looked nearly finished. Her response was quiet, little more than a breath. "Oh, wow!"

"I think it looks pretty close, I just haven't finished all the shading details." Art was one of the things Steve had actually been good at before the serum. He was confident he'd managed to capture her well. To his eye, it looked fairly true to life.

Bucky leaned a bit to see Steve's drawing, knowing exactly how good Steve was, and smiled. "It is very accurate. It really looks like both of us. And Darcy looks beautiful as ever."

It took Darcy a few moments to process her thoughts beyond her initial reaction. Her eyes wide, lips slightly parted, and the fingers on her free hand hovering slightly over the paper. "I look pretty here."

"I'm glad you can see it. Do you like it?" The level of butterflies fluttering in Steve's stomach was high. She knew he drew, but he hadn't shown her a great many of his pieces. He wanted her to like it, and to like the way she looked in it.

"I do, it's amazing. You've shown me a few sketches of things, but not people. You're amazing." Drawing was not something Darcy listed in her personal skill set but always admired in others.

Steve felt a little flush. Even though he knew he had the skill, getting a compliment from her stirred up a rush of tingles inside his body. "Thank you."

The drawing was close enough to done Steve didn't move back to his original spot, instead he remained right next to Darcy. She laid back again with her book but kept sneaking peeks at his sketch and oohing and ahhing at his work. She also hadn't let go of Bucky's hand, nor had he let go of hers.


	3. Day 3 - Funky Old Motels

The Fourth of July was a big thing in the small town of Southport. No doubt how the funky little old motel off the main road had managed to accidentally overbook and there was only one room vacant and waiting for them when they arrived. It happened that one room was the one intended for Darcy which had a single bed in it. The front desk said they would see if they could find a cot or something, but would give them a discount in any case for the mishap. They took it in stride despite the lingering question that none of them had actually attempted to ask, much less answer, aloud which was just where they all would sleep.

After they arrived in the middle of the afternoon, the three of them wandered the town, had dinner, took in the festivities that were already going on the day before The Fourth. It felt like each moment pushed them all a little closer. While walking around town Steve and Bucky had been alternately swinging an arm around Darcy. She was finding ever since brunch in Cape May at least one of the guys was within a few feet of her whenever they were out and about and often there were small touches, this was just another level.

They got back to their room late, no cot had appeared. Darcy dropped her purse on the table and they all eyed the bed, but no one actually touched it.

“We can sleep on the floor.” Steve finally said something. He knew he and Bucky’s bodies were fine with floor sleeping.

“No, that just seems crazy.” Darcy was quick to respond. Even if it didn't hurt their backs, she knew she would feel bad knowing they were sleeping on the floor.

“Well, I don't want you sleeping on the floor. I would much rather it be me.” Bucky wasn't sure what the solution was that would be comfortable to Darcy, but any that didn't have her in the bed he didn't like.

“I trust you guys and I'm comfortable with you both, so I don't see why we can't share, provided we all fit in the bed.” That was Darcy’s biggest question. Steve and Bucky were pretty big guys and the bed was a queen size.

Steve and Bucky looked at each other, then at the bed. It was an idea with plenty of appeal. Steve thought of answering for both of them but wondered if that would be strange. "It might be a bit snug, but if everyone else is okay with it, I am."

"Snug doesn't bother me." Bucky didn't like being confined too much, but this wasn't confined. This was snuggling someone he really cared for, loved even. He didn't say as much to her, but in nearly a year of knowing her and spending time with her, it was the proper word for what he felt.

There may have been a little nerves mingled with her excitement, but mostly it was excitement causing all the fluttering in her stomach. "I'm okay with it."

The night was warm, still in the low 80s well after dark. The temperature was a factor in choosing night clothes as each took their turn at using the bathroom, Darcy first, then Steve, then Bucky. She turned down the bed while they had their turns, and sat herself in the middle of the bed in her pajamas, which consisted of a tee shirt and boy-short panties. Steve went with just some thin soft pajama pants, while Bucky was wearing boxers and a tank. Steve had busied himself sorting his bag and sorting the laundry bag they were growing after the first few days of their trip, while Bucky was using the bathroom. Only once Bucky was done, did they both consider approaching the bed.

"Let us know any ground rules, or how you would prefer to sleep. You don't have to sleep in the middle unless you want to." Steve finally moved to sit down on the bed. Bucky had approached but stayed hovering near the foot of the bed until Darcy answered.

"My comfort isn't the only one to consider. Are you two really okay with this?" If there had been a couch, she would have just taken that to avoid any complications, but there wasn't. It was the bed or the floor. Her gaze kept floating between the two of them.

"Yes, we're okay with it. We're comfortable as long as you are." When Steve spoke, Darcy's gaze seemed to settle on him.

"I am. It feels like we're all getting closer this trip, and I've always felt safe with you guys." She reached for Steve's hand which he grasped readily. Once she gave it a squeeze and smiled at him, she turned her focus on Bucky, reaching out her other hand.

Bucky finally moved to sit down on the other side of Darcy and clasped her hand in his own right away. "We feel safe with you too." Bucky found himself leaning into her as he pulled his legs all the way onto the bed.

Everything had been small touches, hand holding, arms around her. It still somehow felt more intense than just friends, yet hadn't crossed any lines, nor had the guys said anything. So, Darcy hesitated to say anything more. "That's good, that's important."

Steve laid back first, Darcy and Bucky followed suit, pulling only the sheet up over them. Darcy was on her back between them, still holding their hands and they rolled slightly onto their sides. Steve moved his other hand to brush his fingers down her arm, smiling when she looked at him. “It is. So, we don’t want to cross any lines, unless you want to cross them too.”

“Depending on the nature of the lines, I might not mind crossing some of them.” Darcy spoke slow and careful, but clearly. She had always been okay with just being friends, despite finding them both ridiculously attractive, friends had seemed simple and happy and didn't involve any choices or possibly leaving someone out. Given the way they had almost been finishing each other's sentences and speaking for each other, Darcy wondered if the two of them had conversations about this possibility before they ever set out on this trip. That idea didn't bother her, it actually made her feel like it was potentially simpler.

Steve and Bucky had many conversations going back quite a ways about Darcy and how she fit with both of them. They simply hadn't been sure about broaching the subject with her, or how she would feel about being with both of them, so they had kept it friendly and waited to see if she would give them any clear signs she might be open to something more with one or both of them. "You've been a really good friend to us both and we don't want to lose that. And we don't want to have things be uncomfortable, but we really like you, not simply in a friendly way. You are beautiful inside and out and you make our lives brighter by being part of them, part of us."

Darcy couldn't seem to do anything except stare in a sort of wonder at what Steve said. It took her a few moments to be sure it was real. She would probably never admit, but she'd dreamed such things on more than one occasion.

As Darcy's eyes got wide listening to Steve's words, her lips also slowly parted and became softly pouty. Any lingering stopping mechanism in Steve's head vanished and he leaned in to meet her lips with a soft, slow massaging. He had intended to pull back, to make it just a short, soft kiss, but when her lips responded so quickly, moving with his, he kept going, he didn't want to pull away at all. His free hand caressing her cheek and tangling into her hair.

Bucky didn't think he was being left out. He only loosened his hold on Darcy's hand in case she wanted to put two hands on Steve while they kissed, but when she squeezed his hand a little firmer instead, it made his insides flutter. Pulling her hand up to press a kiss into her skin. His metal hand settled on her belly without thinking. For a moment he worried as she pulled her lips from Steve's and turned her head toward him. Steve's hand had slid down her neck and skipped over to her stomach where it settled next to Bucky's metal hand. The look of want and desire in her eyes washed his worries away replacing them with a rush of confidence that had his lips closing on hers.

The three of them spent a while kissing and whispering to each other, before falling asleep a bit tangled together.


	4. Day 4 - Wishes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost feel like calling this explicit is overselling it. But it's slightly explicit for a little bit toward the end. Hopefully it came out okay.

Steve had decided Southport sounded like a nice place to spend his 100th birthday. It was a small old town with a big Fourth of July bash. It meant he could enjoy the day, get lost in the crowd, and not have any particular attention focused upon him. Well, there was a good chance Bucky and Darcy might make a small mention of it being his birthday, but it had been a way for him to dodge the giant birthday party he could tell Tony wanted to cook up for him if he stayed at The Compound for his birthday.

The daytime was great, there was a parade, classic car show, lots of music and food, tours of several historic sites in the town, arts and crafts, and no one recognized him. In the mass of people there for the festivities, he was just another face in the crowd. The big fireworks show started at sundown around 9pm. The three of them had found a nice spot along the waterfront to watch.

"You should make a birthday wish during the fireworks." Darcy grinned up at him from her spot, tucked cozy under his arm, her arm curled around his back.

Bucky stood pressed into Darcy's other side, his fingers laced with hers. "You should definitely make a wish." He gave Steve a poke with his free hand, the disguised metal one.

"I don't know what to wish for. I already got what I kept hoping for." He was staring into Darcy's eyes, so much even in the dim light of dusk, he could see the flush hit her cheeks.

"Well, maybe you can think of something." All she had to do was begin to roll up on her toes and Steve closed the distance for a kiss. The day had been rather full of little kisses with each of them.

Steve pulled back slow, taking her bottom lip with him, until their lips parted. His voice was low and deep when he spoke. "Maybe."

Something about that made Darcy quiver, and she got squeezed by both of them as a result. "Something to work on. In the meantime, fireworks."

The first bang hadn't happened, but the sky was growing dimmer by the minute. Steve and Bucky were watching her as she started looking to the sky. "What about you? Any wishes?"

"It's not my birthday. It's yours." Darcy grinned, looking back at Steve again.

"True, but I was never one to do much wishing. I'm happy to entertain other's wishes though." While smiling at Darcy, Steve caught the soft head shake from Bucky. Steve narrowed his eyes in a question.

"Maybe you didn't wish out loud, maybe you even liked to think you weren't wishing for things, but you did. You had things you hoped for, even if you didn't think you'd get them." Bucky had an uncommonly smug smirk on his face when he spoke.

"At one time, when I was very young, I may have hoped for a normal life. Way back when. Back when I was sick all the time." Steve's words came out with his voice seeming a bit stunted, lacking his usual confidence and conviction. He didn't really think he had much in the way of wishes or hopes, ever, but there was a chance he'd been lying to himself about it for so long, he believed his own lie.

Bucky was shaking his head before Steve even finished. His expression had grown soft and warm at the same time, though. "Not only then. You don't like to say, but I can see it in your eyes whenever you were quietly hoping for something. I saw it when we were kids, that first time your mom said you could go venturing beyond the two block radius of your usual path between school and home when we were eight, provided I was with you. That started the slow progression of her worrying less about if you were okay when you were out of the house. I also saw it in that bar during the war, when Peggy walked in, and every time you laid eyes on her thereafter. And I saw it the first time we ran into Darcy, and every day since. And those are just a few examples. You get that look maybe more often than you think you do."

Steve had to laugh just a moment. It was light, a few audible puffs of breath. "Maybe you know me better than I know myself."

Darcy was smiling, watching the two of them. "I wouldn't be surprised if he does."

"I'm fairly sure I do." Bucky chuckled first, then Steve and Darcy joined him.

"I suppose I had faint hopes. I tried not to dwell on them. Only when it seemed vaguely possible. I like to be realistic." That certainty was back in Steve's voice.

Bucky snickered a little and smiled. "Says the guy who signed up for an experimental program just so he could go fight a war, so he could prove to himself he could do anything and everything anyone else could."

Steve opened his mouth before shutting it again when he caught Bucky's eyes. They probably did know each other better than they knew themselves. He'd always said he wasn't trying to prove anything, but he was. Going to war had seemed, to Steve, to be every man's duty. To stand up to what they saw as wrong in the world. It was still what Steve did. But being small, sick, and weak, Steve had definitely always been trying to prove himself capable of anything. After a few moments, he smiled slowly. “Maybe.”

“Did you really wish and hope from the first time you saw me?” Darcy was staring, a bit awed at Steve. She had also pulled the back of Bucky's hand to her chest with her fingers still laced into his.

He was nodding slowly for several breaths before actually saying anything. “I did. He did too.” Steve's gaze finally shifted from Darcy's eyes to Bucky's with the last sentence.

Bucky grinned a moment, his stare moving off Steve when Darcy turned her head to look at him. "I definitely did."

"I think I can maybe see that in your eyes now. Can you see it in mine?" Darcy may not have noticed them looking at her as anything other than a friend. Maybe she'd wondered a few times, but not enough to be sure. Especially not sure enough to know what to do being that she had liked them both from the start. She had noticed the way they communicated with just glances at one another, it was something she was still amazed by.

"I can now, just not before. I don't know you as well as I know him. But we'd like to work on that. We want to be able to know your thoughts and feelings from looking in your eyes and for you to be able to do the same." Bucky wanted to be able to read her. Maybe he'd never read her the way he could read Steve, but he hoped to try. And he knew Steve wanted to know her that deeply, as well.

"I want to work on getting to know you both better too. I mean, I know the simple things, like what you both like to eat while watching a movie. But I definitely would love to have even some of that unspoken communication that the two of you have. And I love that you both want to let me into that because I do know it's something special between you." She felt Steve nuzzling into her hair behind her ear while Bucky had her locked up in his eyes. Darcy knew she'd never be able to share that long history they had, it wasn't how time worked. But she did hope, and wish, to be a part of whatever history they made going forward.

"Bucky's always been the dreamer of the two of us. But I'm definitely sharing that hope of you being that much a part of us." Both of Steve's arms had curled around her as he whispered the words in her ear. It was easy to feel how she trembled when he spoke. He didn't know if she could tell he'd trembled as a result of the sensation, but her hand gripped his side as Bucky leaned in to kiss her.

Bucky's lips pressed firm, moving with a slow desperation as his free hand took hold of the back of her neck without disrupting Steve's nuzzling. Darcy quickly felt engulfed by the intensity of them both, and she wouldn't have changed a thing. Her mind and soul felt like they were spinning in a way that she had never imagined before. There were people all around, but it was like they were the only ones there. Steve's lips brushed her skin below her ear and her mouth opened in a moan that Bucky swallowed whole, his tongue sweeping into her mouth and taking her deeper. Steve meandered across her cheek, lips finally nipping the corner of her mouth. Bucky had shifted perfectly with his approach. They both pulled softly at her lips for a few moments before Bucky began trailing down her neck, his hand still cradling her head as Steve got his chance to drink in one of Darcy's moans as his tongue teased her.

None of the music or chatter all around or people passing by mere feet away could draw their attention away. Only when the boom from the first firework rumbled through them, did they pull back their lips and look up. There were at least five more booms before Darcy caught her breath enough to say anything. "Wow."

They both glanced back at her. Steve said what they both wondered. "Us or the fireworks?"

Darcy giggled. "Both. Mostly you guys. But the fireworks are awfully pretty." Sighing at the feeling them pressing kisses to her temples. The night was fairly warm, but she definitely had no worries about getting cool standing out there in just the light sundress she'd been wearing all day. She was so sandwiched between two human heaters there was no way to get cold, especially as they both keep squeezing her a little more, like they were trying to get even closer.

"They are pretty cool. I kind of wondered if they would be as spectacular as I remembered them being a lifetime ago. But this is pretty amazing, though I'm not sure the feeling is entirely about the fireworks. But I might always associate this feeling with fireworks, so..." Bucky chuckled and shrugged lightly, trailing off. Letting his eyes close as he buried his face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her a few times. He looked up when Steve gave his shoulder a pat and squeeze. They exchanged a small smile knowing they were definitely floating in the reality of this dream they'd both had of Darcy.

Darcy's lips pressed firmly into Bucky's before rolling off slowly. "I think I will too from now on."

The fireworks show lasted about twenty minutes, as they squeezed and cuddled and kissed and watched. Once it ended, the crowd started shifting, the music from the live band started up again, and the town's party clearly wasn't over yet. Steve was enjoying the festival, but his mind was no longer on anything other than Darcy. "Would it be terribly ungentlemanly if I asked to just head back to the motel because the only thing I want for the rest of the night is you?"

Darcy quivered at the low, deep tone with which Steve spoke, with his lips so close to her ear, they'd brushed her skin a couple of times. She squeezed his side and Bucky's hand tight as she could. She found his gaze well before she found her words. "Not terribly, no. That's about all I want the rest of tonight."

Bucky had nothing but agreement for that notion and they wandered back down the main street to their motel. The place was well kept, but definitely older, and the air conditioning wasn't particularly strong in their room. As they walked in and tried to turn it on, it seemed to only want to trickle out slightly cool air. "I think the A/C needs fixing."

"It might be cooler just to open the window." Steve had hoped to turn on the air conditioning and get closer. But all the more reason to shed some clothing perhaps.

Bucky was already ahead of him, both in opening the window to let in the moderately cool, fresh, night air, and in stripping off his clothes. He already had his tee off and was kicking off his shoes while undoing his pants. "I'd be more romantic about the getting naked part, but it's too hot in here for clothes."

Darcy just chuckled a minute, watching them both strip down to their underwear. She wanted to do this. Getting closer to them, getting naked with them, having sex with them, all had been running through her mind since last night. It still didn't stop her nerves about stripping down, especially given the perfectly chiseled specimens that Steve and Bucky were. She found herself simply standing by the little table in the room, watching them, and biting her lip.

Bucky had flipped on the fan while Steve was chucking his shirt, his pants already on the floor. They sat down at the foot of the bed next to each other, in nothing but their underwear, and their focus turned to Darcy. Steve had followed suit on stripping down when Bucky did. It was so quick he guessed neither of them stopped to ponder Darcy's feeling on the matter. "We should have been more romantic about the undressing, right? I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." She giggled again, though her smile was slightly lopsided and awkward.

"Okay. Are you joining us?" Steve held out a hand. There were only a few feet between the end of the bed and the table Darcy stood by.

"I'm trying to." Darcy did take his hand and let him pull her closer. She stopped only when her knees bumped against theirs.

"You don't have to. I know what I said earlier, but this can go as fast or slow as you want it to. I don't really know what I'm doing. I've waited this long, I can wait however much longer. I probably get a little over-enthusiastic once I commit to something." Steve had managed to go a hundred years and had only gotten to kissing a few girls. Granted he'd been out of commission for nearly seventy of those years, but still. Knowing Darcy felt the same way about them that they did about her had given Steve a little closer to his Captain America level confidence. But he didn't want to push her faster than she wanted to go.

"That's true." Bucky smiled at Steve before looking back at Darcy. Steve elbowed him and they all laughed.

"I want to. I'm just a little nervous still. Getting naked is not a natural state for me. I always feel more confident with clothes on. I'm a little soft in the middle." Giggling yet again as her free hand went over her stomach.

"You can set whatever pace you want for how this goes. I will say though, I think you're beautiful and I love the way you look." Steve gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his gaze had swept over her body for a moment before speaking and locking onto her eyes.

"I can't imagine wanting a woman to look any way other than the way you do, Doll." When Bucky added on Darcy's gaze shifted and she brushed her free hand over his cheek, letting her fingers play at the strands of hair that were loose around his face.

Steve nodded firmly with Bucky's addition. "Do I need to get out my sketch from our day on the beach? Because I will."

Darcy shook her head, still giggling a bit. "No, I believe you both. While I'm not completely sure what the rules of this relationship are, it's a relationship, and I want to be with you both."

"It is definitely a relationship. There are no rules other than any we establish. It can work however you want it to. It's been a long time, and a lifetime ago for me, I'm okay with going slow. With figuring things out as we go. I want you to be happy because you make me happy. And Steve feels the same way. We don't want to be with anyone other than you."

This nod was even firmer than the last from Steve. It seemed to make Darcy smile, which had Steve chuckling a little. "I feel like that was a moment of unspoken communication. That I'm possibly ruining by talking about it."

"Not ruining. But I think it was too." Darcy brushed her thumb at the back of Steve's hand, a lingering moment of staring followed. "I'm not interested in being with anyone other than the two of you."

After a few moments, Steve reached for the hem of her skirt and gave it a wiggle, his knuckle brushing her knee as he did. Pulling her hands from them both, Darcy lifted her arms over her head. It was all they needed to 'hear,' Steve and Bucky had that dress off, and on the floor, in the blink of an eye.

Darcy's hands moved to try to cover her stomach, instinct more than anything else. Even when she was changing alone in a room she did that sometimes. Body insecurities kicked in more or less in time with puberty for her. Her eyes found both of their gazes, as theirs slid up her body to meet her eyes. She trembled such that both men reached out to steady her without a second thought. Her hands moved to grip one wrist each as soon as their hands made contact with her body. It wasn't the insecurity rattling her, it was the intensity of their eyes when they looked her over. She'd never felt that before, not that she'd been with a lot of guys. Just a few really, but none had looked so intensely at her as Steve and Bucky did. When that flash of worry hit both of them, she found her voice. "I love the way you both look at me. And the way you see me. I can feel it's not just about my boobs, or my lips or something, but everything, inside and out. And that's all new to me."

"Well, I don't know what they're feeding guys these days that they don't know a gorgeous, intelligent, funny woman when she's right in front of them. But their loss is our gain. Right, Buck?" Steve glanced a moment at the end, even though he knew Bucky was with him on that without even looking at his friend.

"Definitely. Although maybe they're just too young and stupid to know a good thing." Bucky shook his head with a little smile. Darcy had grabbed his metal hand when she grabbed, it sat on her lower back the thumb pressed softly into her side, while the flesh hand was flat and pointed up along the front of her hip. Steve's hands mirrored his on her other side.

Darcy was giggling again. She hadn't always been such a giggler, but they brought it out in her. Then it stopped with a gasp as she felt Bucky's flesh fingers skimming down her thigh and curling around from the inside to the back of her thigh just above her knee. Her eyelids fluttered and her hand slid all the way up the length of his metal arm, up the back of his neck, and into his hair. His fingers on both hands squeezed softly, but she didn't get to fully process that, as Steve's left hand trailed the same path Bucky's hand had, simply on the other side. She felt them both gently pull. Moving her other hand up to Steve's shoulder she had just a moment to brace when their lips went for her stomach and her knees nearly buckled under. When she recovered enough sense to actually focus her eyes, she found them both staring up at her as warm lips massaged at her flesh.

Honestly, Darcy wasn't even sure how long passed, or how she'd wound up on her back on the bed, but their mouths hadn't finished with her belly. Tongues flicked at flesh, and even Steve's hair managed to tickle her skin. Bucky's kept brushing and tickling and all those sensations kept her wiggling and whimpering and moaning softly, especially as they'd slowly let their fingers get in on the action as well. Her hands were buried in their hair, one hand gripping each as firmly as she could, slightly afraid if she didn't hold on tight she might fly out or fall to her demise or something, much like when she'd ridden roller coasters as a child. She thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was so intense at the same time. 

Her head had dropped back onto the bed after watching them for a bit, her fuzzy gaze catching only ceiling. A finger stroking softly on her chest, over her heart, elicited a gasp and lifted her head. It was Steve, just one finger, the rest were curled into his hand, though both their eyes were on her, and they'd stopped all other movement. She managed to breathe out one word. "Yes."

They all shifted, and her bra was discarded to the floor somewhere before she could think twice. Darcy wasn't thinking twice though, they'd worshiped at her stomach long enough to erase any lingering uncertainties she had, at least in their presence, the rest of the world was probably still a whole other thing. But she felt loved and desired beyond anything she'd ever dreamed up, and her only current thoughts were on getting them naked too. When she grabbed each by the waist of their underwear, she got hardy chuckles, and they both stripped them off with a moment's hesitation. She really only got a glance at each of them before they shifted, though it was hard to miss they were both erect and big enough she hoped they went slow the first time.

Steve settled in sitting next to her, he wasn't nervous exactly, but perhaps it hit him he'd never been with a woman and he didn't want to make the wrong moves. The look in her eyes eased him though, and her leaning in to kiss him helped too. Tangling his hand into her hair, she lingered on his lips, and he simply followed her lead.

Bucky had sat back on his feet and let them have a moment. It seemed only right, seeing as it was Steve's first time. Though Bucky's sexual past was a distant blur, he knew he had one, and flashes of it had appeared in his mind at times. He hesitated a moment, even when Steve reached out his other hand to coax Bucky in, but did move slowly to kiss her shoulder. It kept surprising him the way his insides felt as though they were charged with electricity each time Darcy touched him. Her hand gripped his metal arm with the first brush of his lips on her skin. The metal hand braced on the bed, so the other could trail over her legs.

Steve's hand actually ventured to her breasts first. His fingers brushing along the edges of the curves after she pulled back from their kiss. She held his stare as he did, her wide, soft eyes rushing love and electricity through his body. On the first circle of her nipple, it hardened nearly in time with her sharp inhale. Bucky pulled back and seemed to freeze, his stare fixed on the motions Steve's fingers made on Darcy's skin. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "Please do something for me?" He paused for her nod and then made his request. "Would you give Bucky a kiss. I think we're all a little rusty here."

After a faint giggle, Darcy licked her lips. "I think we are too. But that's okay." Turning her gaze on Bucky after, knowing he'd heard the whole exchange. He still sat still waiting.

"I know I'm supposed to be the one who knows what he's doing." Bucky had been trying to reign in his own insecurities. He knew Steve had said he felt more confident with Darcy because Bucky was there with him. And since it was both Steve's birthday and his first time, Bucky wanted his best friend to have the attention and focus on him.

Darcy shook her head decidedly and immediately. "Not really. That probably should be me. My five year drought doesn't really compare to everything you've been through."

Bucky let go of some tension with a heavy sigh. "As long as you don't mind us both fumbling through this a bit."

"I don't mind at all." Darcy was leaning a little closer to Bucky, with each exchange of words, until her nose brushed his and his lips jumped for her. She managed to giggle and kiss, which got him to chuckle. They pulled back after just a moment though when they heard Steve laughing.

"I'm sorry. Are we supposed to be laughing during this? It just seemed funny and sweet." Steve's finger flicked gently at Darcy's nipple and she hummed softly.

She got one hand lost in Bucky's hair while the other pulled Steve's face close enough to nip his lips a few times between bits of speech. "I haven't before, but then none of those relationships wound up lasting very long. So, maybe that was part of the problem. No ability to laugh and be passionately into one another all at the same time."

"You know, I think I do remember some laughter once or twice, back in the day, and it was a good thing. As long as it's laughing because we're so at ease that we can just laugh even while we're naked and touching and not uncomfortable laughing." Bucky felt unexpectedly confident in his thoughts, smiling broadly when Darcy and Steve smiled at him.

"I say as long as one of us manages to keep a cool head at any given moment, then we'll be okay." Steve thought it sounded reasonable enough. They could all have insecurities, as long as someone was able to pause and think clearly about that insecurity then they'd work through the rest.

"Steve and I always felt like you were that piece we both needed. You're sensible when we aren't sure, and we can be sensible when you aren't sure. Which, if things go all out tonight, are we all prepared? Aren't there things these days that people have to consider or know first?" Bucky's eyes were wide and a bit shiny, and his hand held softly to her knee, squeezing a little for his own comfort more than anything else.

Darcy cradled both their heads, her thumbs brushing cheeks, her gaze shifting between them. "Sounds like good teamwork. As for sex prep, most couples do need to sort out birth control, which I'm on. As well as disease testing status, which I'm clean, and I'm figuring you two are." They both nodded.

"That does sound like it, but it just seemed more complicated when I read about it online." Steve laughed at himself and shook his head.

"It's entirely possible everything is more complicated when you read about it online." Darcy laughed with him and then at her own comment. Bucky just smiled a little.

Steve glanced at his hand as it cupped and lightly squeezed her breast, his thumb brushing back and forth over the peak slowly. When she quivered a little, he looked up, her parted lips and wide eyes made him smile. "Thought I'd bring things back around if that was all that we needed to sort out."

For a moment, all Darcy had was a nod in response, and some slow heavy breaths. "Sounds good." Her breath and voice wavering from the sensations Bucky's hand sliding up her thigh and onto her stomach added to the mix. She still had her panties on and they seemed in no immediate rush to rid her of them. Maybe she'd have said or done something about that, but two distinct hands on her breasts, followed shortly by lips cleared her mind of any higher thought.

The guys took their time on her breasts, like they had her stomach, and they kept straying onto her belly, and fingers ventured over her legs as they got her laying back again on the bed. Until Bucky's fingers grazed up the inside of her thigh as his lips were wandering her stomach again. Meanwhile, Steve had a hand on one breast and his mouth on the other flicking and sucking and licking and squeezing. Her body was awash with sensations, but those fingers getting close enough to her panties she could almost feel it made her hips rock. Both guys froze for a moment before looking up at her. When she caught them both in her gaze her hips rocked again and Bucky repeated his fingers motion. She rocked and moaned, the sound seemed to shift gears in Steve and Bucky.

Bucky slid off her panties and there was a moment of staring before both their hands went to work. The first touches were light, tentative. Grazing over her mound, dancing lightly along her outer lips. Her moans, and the way her legs parted, seemed to get their pulses jumping faster than either anticipated. Bucky still kept checking her eyes for any trouble, but found nothing but bliss and passion in them.

Steve had sat up a little, they both seemed to want to watch her face and her body while they touched her. She had a grip on each bracing arm. Steve's fingers slid through her folds memorizing the feel of her while breathing in her scent. It was a strange feeling wanting to go both faster and slower all at once. He wanted to savor it, and make it last, but he also wanted nothing more than to bury himself in the sensations of her body and her arousal. Not once did he and Bucky's fingers miss a beat or get in the other's way. All they needed was a quick glance at one another to keep apprised of the other's thoughts. While Steve had never done this before, he'd done some internet research on female anatomy and sex, particularly after Darcy started hanging out with them a lot. He had told himself it was both just in case something incredible happened, and simply to understand women and their experience better, since some of the movies they watched were romantic comedies Darcy talked about. When Bucky slipped a finger inside her, Steve's went for her clit and started a purposefully slightly off rhythm.

They both were watching her intently as their fingers started moving with more purpose and it drove Darcy right to the edge very quickly. It had been a slow build, she'd been at high arousal for a while with all touching and kissing. It was only a few minutes before she was clenching and spasming while biting her lip. They slowed, almost stilled for a moment as she relaxed following her orgasm, but the eye contact made her feel like they were still touching her all over, and deep inside.

"You might have to tell us if you want us to stop." Steve spoke soft, but seriously, while his fingers still cupped her pussy, and Bucky had a stilled finger between her folds.

"Don't stop." With a couple of her past boyfriends, particularly the couple from high school and college, this was more than she ever got. And even the best of them, it wasn't quite this intense. But Darcy still didn't want to just stop at one, she still wanted to feel them both closer.

Eventually, Darcy did have to stop them, after she lost count of her orgasms, and they'd both been inside her, twice, and they'd both gone down on her and her them. Their refractory period was practically non-existent. Somehow she hadn't expected that, though she'd felt like she probably should have, given everything else she knew about them. She was tangled between them, all naked bodies and no sheets, just a fan blowing a light breeze over them. There was no getting cold with them wrapped around her, if anything she was still rather on the warm side, but she could hardly complain. She was far too happy pressed between them.


	5. Day 5 - Ice Cream

After waking a little late in the morning, having a nice breakfast, and walking around Southport once more they headed south arriving in Charleston in the middle of the afternoon. They walked around seeing a few sights before having a nice Southern comfort dinner early in the evening. There were a few things, like a city market they decided they'd have to fully check out tomorrow when they had more time. The evening was just for feeling the city out. After wandering around nearly an hour digesting, looking at the buildings, and enjoying the fresh, warm evening air they stopped for some gelato near the waterfront. The sun was low, but decidedly up, as they started to stroll the Waterfront Park.

Darcy had taken a taste of each of the guy's cups without even having to ask, a look was all that was needed. She, of course, offered tastes of hers. They had all gotten a combo of two flavors and slightly different combinations from each other. It seemed fun to taste and the guys didn't seem to mind at all, tasting each other's as well. The park had a large fountain where a few kids were still playing even during the evening hours. It was a pretty warm day, the temperature was still in the eighties.

"What made you guys choose the path we're talking for this trip anyway? It's a cool path, but what made you guys decide on the places." Darcy hadn't had any part in planning the trip. They'd just mentioned going on a trip a couple times and then asked her along right before they started making rooming plans.

"Well, next week going through the Appalachians was the main point. Bruce mentioned the place was beautiful and relaxing. Which coming from him, I took seriously. That was the sensation I was hoping for with this trip. For this first week down the coast, Bucky and I just started thinking what places seemed like nice ones to stop and have a look around. Charleston particularly stems from an old curiosity Bucky had because of an old flame."

She looked at Bucky, the only disadvantage she'd found thus far in their relationship arrangement was she was usually in between them, and she had to turn her head a lot. It was something she could definitely live with. "Oh really? An old flame with a thing for Charleston?" Her voice was all play and her eyebrows bounced, which seemed to make Bucky laugh more than anything else.

"Yeah, way back in the day. I want to say it was Autumn of 1937. I was twenty, she was eighteen. Amelia. She'd moved to Brooklyn from Charleston that summer. I think her father had died and her mother wasn't able to keep the house for some reason, so they moved in with her brother who had been in Brooklyn for a few years. He was twenty-five and married with a kid. She liked New York but always talked about how much smaller and slower life was in Charleston. That while New York was exciting, she missed her home a lot. We went out for a few months, but I don't think her brother liked me very much. But then he was one of those Southern Gentleman types and I was some working-class kid from Brooklyn, so I suppose I see where he didn't think I was good enough for his sister. I was boxing and following Steve to art classes and didn't exactly have strong direction in my life." Bucky shrugged, looking down a bit toward the end, but smiling when he felt Darcy curl her arm around his back and squeeze him close. He shifted his gelato cup so he could swing his arm around her too. The only downside to the gelato was not having the free hands to hold onto her while they walked.

"You were making money boxing, and you were smart, Buck. You had all kinds of prospects and potential, that guy was just an asshole. I remember Amelia though, she was nice. She might have been just being nice, but she talked a few times about how she wished her best friend, Anna, was around because she wanted to set us up. Most women and their friends didn't want much to do with me back then, but she seemed genuine in the belief that her friend, who loved art, would have liked me." Steve chuckled to himself at the memory he hadn't thought of in ages but could recall the way Amelia said it clear as day.

Darcy only had the one arm that was around Bucky, the other was holding her gelato which was hard to eat with one hand, but she lifted that hand and crooked her finger at Steve. He leaned in and she pressed a soft kiss to his lips, their respective gelato flavored lips mingling for just long enough to taste it. "I think anyone who would have bothered to get to know you would have known you were worth having a lot to do with."

"Maybe, but I'm not complaining. I have you now, and it's more than I ever expected." He stole one more quick kiss before she smiled, brushing her nose on his, and looked back over at Bucky.

"It's definitely not the crazy pace of New York, I could see where that was probably a kind of culture shock for a girl, maybe especially in that era, before mass media had everyone so connected. Did she break up with you because of something her brother said?" Darcy wanted to just wrap them both up then and there for having been made to feel like they weren't good enough somehow by anyone. They were two of the most amazing men she'd ever known.

"Basically, yeah. She showed up crying, she said she didn't want to break up, but her brother was threatening to kick her out or such things if she didn't stop seeing me. She was too scared to keep doing so in secret and didn't have the means to leave on her own, she was still looking for long-term work in the city. She'd only been doing some odd house cleaning jobs, and those were mostly for people her brother knew. I didn't know how to help her and didn't want to make her feel worse about it. I wonder sometimes whatever happened to her. I hope she found love, got married, had a good life." Bucky didn't think about it often, but there were certainly a handful of friends from his youth, he wondered what had become of their lives after he disappeared from the world. He leaned to kiss Darcy's temple when he felt her hand rubbing softly against his back.

"I bet there's a way to find out what happened to her if you're really curious." Darcy shrugged a little, not certain how, but it seemed like something someone like Tony or Fury could work out, that was if Bucky really wanted to know.

"Maybe." Bucky nodded his head, pondering it. He was curious, but he also worried if anything bad or sad had happened to her that he maybe wouldn't really want to know that. For all the horror he'd seen, and still did at times, maybe it shouldn't have bothered him so much. But sometimes dreaming a handful of people from his past wound up with better lives was a little fantasy he liked to have. "I'll think about it."

Steve pat Bucky's shoulder and gave him a long, gentle smile. He knew all too well that feeling, and how it felt to find out what had really happened. Even with those who had good lives, there was often a bittersweet sensation that had been attached to that for Steve. "I'm enjoying the pace of this trip. I wouldn't even mind it being even a little slower."

"Really? Not craving an adrenaline rush?" Bucky's eyebrow went up.

"I'm getting all the adrenaline I need." His gaze fell on Darcy, who looked a little confused for a moment.

"Me? Really?" Something about that idea seemed important and exciting. She knew Steve liked to keep active and busy around the Compound, she'd even asked them during the first stop in Cape May if they wanted to be doing more things. Seeing sights or trying things that maybe were too much for her, or at least too much all in one day. She'd tired out after a drive and some sights their first day and wanted to relax on the beach but said they could go do other things if they had an itinerary to keep. But ever since they said they had no itinerary and just wanted to see whatever she was up for seeing. It had made her worry for a day or so that she was commandeering their trip, but they kept smiling so much and seeming excited to do a lot of relaxing and pacing of just a few sights with her she had at least stopped worrying so much about that once they'd gotten to Southport.

Steve nodded, one hand reaching out to rub her back. "You manage to be plenty exciting on this trip. I'm content to just lay on beaches, wander towns, and watch you."

Bucky felt Darcy squeeze his body and lean into him a little more. "You're making our girl all weak in the knees again."

Steve blushed a bit, not always thinking before he spoke or acted with her the last couple days. She never seemed to mind, but he wound up surprising himself. He did slip his arm around her waist for the moment. "Why don't we sit down to finish the gelato."

It was a fairly active evening along the waterfront, but there was no shortage of benches. They sat on the nearest empty one and Darcy thoroughly enjoyed being able to alternate resting her head on Steve and Bucky's shoulders in between a few bites of gelato. They lingered on the park bench for a bit after they finished eating before deciding to continue wandering.


	6. Day 6 - Lemonade

During the morning and early afternoon, they hit a few sights they'd collectively decided sounded worth seeing a little closer than simply wandering past the outside of, and they felt satisfied with what they saw. The thing they were all most interested in spending time checking out was the Charleston Market. The city apparently had a long history of hosting a market full of local vendors with arts, crafts, gifts, food, and more. Steve was curious to see all the art. Darcy was interested in the whole market experience because it sounded fun and she loved the notion of a local market. While Bucky was largely interested in seeing Steve and Darcy enjoy themselves and trying whatever food might be around.

From the first step, it felt like a place they could spend a while wandering. One of the first things they saw was a painter showing and selling a variety of work they had. Steve was drawn right to it. They spent nearly an hour just milling through the first of the buildings, which granted was the largest. They tried a few foods, looked at a lot of art and jewelry and other crafts. Darcy even splurged and bought herself a little bar of soap that she loved the smell of.

It was a warm afternoon and after a while, they were all lured toward a stand selling fresh lemonade. Without really discussing it on the first stop of the trip they'd all made a point to order slightly different things at all times and try what the others got. So Steve got a lemonade-tea blend, Bucky ordered a classic lemonade, and Darcy tried the South Carolina Peach Lemonade. First sips of their own were had immediately and left them each smiling contentedly. Steve laced his fingers with Darcy, as Bucky draped his arm over her shoulders. They always seemed to be trying to keep some light contact while they enjoyed their sightseeing.

Steve held out his drink to them and first Bucky, then Darcy sipped from the straw. "Good, right?"

"I think this is the best lemonade I've ever had." Granted, Bucky didn't drink a lot of lemonade, but he probably would have if it all tasted this good. Maybe it was because it was actually freshly squeezed from the lemon on site. He offered his cup and Darcy then Steve had a sip.

Darcy completed the share, offering up hers. "They're all really good. I've never even had peach lemonade before, and I'll probably never have a better one." She laughed a bit, but it was true. She'd had some strawberry lemonades, but peach was a new one, and it was so good. The peaches were just as fresh as the lemons.

"Is everyone good to keep wandering? I don't want to burn anyone out. But all the cool art here is great." It wasn't far from the start of viable dinner time, and Steve knew it had been a busy day already. He'd noticed Darcy taking a few pauses, and walking a little slower than usual.

Bucky and Darcy just looked at each other and chuckled. It was great just seeing Steve so excited and genuinely happy about something. "I think we're good to make sure we're seeing the place thoroughly and that we pick up anything we really want. So if you want to circle back to that artist gal a little ways back and get those two paintings on wood pieces you were eyeing, we could."

"I don't even know how we'd get those back. We have a car full of stuff for this trip." It seemed impractical, which was the major reason Steve had made himself pass, though somewhat reluctantly. All the pieces were somewhat large, on old doors or shudders, or pieces of wood that were probably from floors or furnishings at one time, even pallet wood, which was what the two pieces Steve had been looking at were made on. They weren't as big but still seemed like they'd be taking up valuable car space. He loved that the woman used found things and painted on them. Old wood from anything and everything, glass, mirrors, all kinds of things.

"They would fit in the car. The trunk has room. We packed light and they aren't huge pieces on their own and they aren't bulky. I know you really liked them. I wouldn't mind seeing them hanging on the wall of the apartment at The Compound." Bucky had a sly sort of grin, he wasn't going to give this one up without some kind of debate. And he didn't intend to lose the debate.

"They were really cool. I wouldn't mind seeing them either." Darcy chimed right in, she knew exactly what pieces Bucky meant. They'd all browsed the woman's stall, and Steve had admired more than a few pieces, but there were a couple paintings of sea creatures on pallet wood that he'd lingered extra long on. She'd even walked up and said how much she liked them, hoping it would be enough of a nudge for Steve to indulge himself, but she hadn't pushed harder on it, and it had seemed he'd walked away without getting them.

Steve laughed. "Am I getting peer pressured into buying art?"

"Only because we know you want it. Yet you have trouble treating yourself to things. But that's why we're here." Bucky reached his hand from Darcy's shoulder out to grab Steve's arm and swing them around to go back a little ways.

"Okay, if it's not going to take too long. I don't want to eat up a bunch of time. We were going to get dinner and relax tonight." That had been what Darcy kept saying whenever they had asked along the way today if she wanted to skip anything and rest. It was a rather hot day and they were doing a lot of walking around in the sun. They'd collectively reapplied Darcy's sunscreen a half-dozen times since eight that morning. She'd rinsed off a bit when they stopped back at the Airbnb loft they'd rented for a couple nights, but he worried she was pushing herself to keep up with them a couple of times today.

"I promise I'm good to keep going, Steve. The quick shower helped, and this lemonade is helping cool me off again. And I want to check this place out too. There are several places to eat right on the blocks directly surrounding the market. The hard part is probably going to be deciding which place to go eat. And, I actually heard there's a night market after the day market closes on Friday and Saturday nights. It has some of the same vendors, but some different ones, plus live music, sounds like a fun way to spend the evening, and we can still make it back with time to rest and get a good night's sleep before we head out tomorrow. Tomorrow is mostly a driving day anyway, right? So we don't have to leave super early, we can sleep in until mid-morning. And then get going, and I can nap in the car if I'm still tired. But I think I'll be fine." Darcy pulled on Steve's hand until he leaned in to let her kiss him.

He smiled, his eyes soft with a brief flash of longing. Steve wanted to just wrap her up in that moment and hold onto her tight, not so much for her, but because he wanted the comfort having her that close brought him. In the middle of a busy market while holding drinks didn't seem the ideal time, but he knew his mind would hold onto the idea until he got the chance to. Once the drinks were done he was getting them a moment outside to just hold her. And he felt like she knew that. She didn't read Steve and Bucky quite like they could read each other, but Steve loved how fast she seemed to be catching onto their moods and cues.


	7. Day 7 - Stargazing

The day had been spent mostly on the road, after waking mid-morning. Steve had snuck in a little run while Bucky and Darcy lingered in bed a bit longer. They had a collective shower upon Steve's return, followed by a lazy breakfast around nine. They took a little walk after breakfast then checked out and were on the road by eleven. The drive into the mountains took around six hours. Once they arrived in Bryson City they were ready to eat. Their motel was a little outside the small city, so after they checked in, they drove back into the town to eat. Strolling the little towns was becoming a favorite activity, more so than specific sightseeing. It was the slow speed, low-stress way to see a place.

Back at the motel after dinner, they weren't quite ready to lock themselves inside, especially not with a river and some gorgeous scenery around them. The little motel had a pool and large grassy area with some trees as well as a barbecue and picnic table area along the river. It seemed a perfect place to pull out a couple blankets and layout in the grass to watch the sunset. They had some camping planned for one of their nights along the Blue Ridge Parkway so there were extra blankets and pillows in the vehicle.

Darcy laid things out and Bucky brought over the cooler so they could have drinks and snacks if they wanted. Steve was taking a moment, looking out at the river, taking it all in and feeling like he should have done this sooner. Though maybe it all was timed just perfectly, since they'd managed to get Darcy to come along, and she'd gone from friend to girlfriend in the course of the past week. Something that maybe wouldn't have happened if this trip hadn't happened just as it did, so Steve hesitated to want to change a thing. Really what he wanted was more time like this. Slow paced, relaxing, no imminent threats to humanity, just him, and Bucky, and Darcy.

Bucky was the first to lay down and sighed with pleasure. The waning sun had the sky glowing. "Oh, I could sleep right here. This is nice."

When Darcy sat down Bucky was quick to cuddle into her. Her fingers raking softly through his hair when he laid his head in her lap without her even thinking about the action. She looked up at Steve still standing and inhaling a few times. "This is really nice. The air really does smell fresher in the mountains. Anything on your mind, or are you just breathing it in?"

Steve looked over at her and smiled. "Mostly just breathing it in. Also glad we still have a week out on the road together before life at The Compound resumes. Maybe also thinking we should do things like this more often. Provided the world doesn't fall apart too much."

"Yes, please, more of this." Bucky's eyes were closed and his arms were curled around Darcy in whatever way he could get them. The metal one, under guise when they were outside among random folks, was somewhat around her lower back, while the other was more or less hugging her thigh to his chest. It might have been a little needy because he felt a little needy at the moment. He wasn't even sure why it just happened sometimes.

Darcy didn't mind whatever neediness came from either of them in odd moments. It wasn't like she didn't have moments too, and she didn't mind them wanting to cuddle her. "We should make that happen then. The world gets crazy sometimes, but there seems to be down times in between. We'll make sure to get away whenever there's nothing going on." Perhaps she should have been more concerned that she'd come to accept that there were occasional recurrent threats to the world, but it seemed like after several occurrences, the heroes of the world, of the universe even, managed to keep the world turning. Steve finally sat down and got cozy.

They were quiet and cuddly for a while as the sun slowly sank. As dark started to settle, they turned on the little lantern flashlight they brought out with them, and Steve gave Bucky a nudge to get them some water from the cooler. Bucky slowly pushed himself up to sit and passed around waters.

"I always loved the stars and space, it just seemed full of possibilities." Bucky looked up and gulped down almost half the bottle of water before capping it and setting it aside. Glancing over at Steve, he smirked. "Remember when we were like nineteen or something, and I dragged you out to Long Island to see that meteor shower and look at the stars at that observatory?"

Steve chuckled while sipping his water, he remembered of course. "Yeah, I remember. There was a little blond named Angela who followed us around for a few hours before dark, made out with you for an hour until her boyfriend turned up and tried to make a scene. We did get to the observatory eventually, and then we wound up sleeping in that truck you'd just bought with your first big boxing winning."

"We did get to the observatory, and it was worth it. Besides, the boyfriend was more show than anything else. One good punch and a firm, your girl followed me and didn't mention she already had a boyfriend, and he let it go." Bucky shrugged and chuckled, nuzzling his nose in Darcy's hair for a moment. She just smiled and rubbed her hand up and down his side.

"I feel like that was more about you punching him than the rest, but at least he didn't follow us when we left." It hadn't been the only time that Bucky had to tell some guy that their girlfriend hadn't been upfront about her relationship status when he'd been making out with someone. Steve didn't understand that kind of dishonesty, but Bucky never pursued taken girls, he'd just wound up with a few who didn't disclose that they were already involved with someone else. His legs had tangled a bit with Darcy's.

"You're probably right." Bucky grinned at Steve and softly clapped him on the shoulder.

Shaking his head, Steve had hints of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "It was just kind of a crazy venture."

"But it was worth it. I think it was worth it. And I remember, you had fun." Bucky was actually full on smiling. It still wasn't something that happened all the time, but it sure came easier when he felt safe and loved in the presence of Steve and Darcy.

"I did. Once it was you and me and the observatory, it was fun. The stars were nice, and back then my lungs appreciated the fresher air even more than they do now." Steve chuckled again, his eyes shining a bit in the dim light of dusk.

"Those were the best times. You and me having adventures, going places, doing simple but fun things together. Like this." While most of Bucky's gaze was on Steve while they spoke, he glanced from time to time at Darcy, smiling at her. Girls had often gotten then the way of their times back in the day, even if Steve never complained, Bucky usually felt bad about getting distracted even for a few minutes. But Darcy actually made this venture even better, and he knew Steve felt that way too.

Darcy felt both of them gently rub their hands against her back and smiled a long moment at her. She had almost jumped in a couple times with a commen, but bit it back because it just seemed nicer to watch them reminisce.

"I think I agree. It's something I guess I left behind in that other life for a long time. I had almost forgotten just how good for the soul it felt. Though I doubt I'd have thought to use those words for it back in 1936." With the word soul, Steve reached out and brushed his fingers over Darcy's cheek, holding onto eye contact for even longer.

"It was something I'd forgotten completely for a while, but I don't think we should let ourselves forget again. Maybe someone else here can help make sure we don't forget about taking some calm moments to just be." Bucky tried to squeeze Darcy a little closer, sighing long and soft when she reached to wrap her arms around him and held him tight.

Darcy finally spoke after just watching them and feeling special for simply being a part of the moment and getting to hear their stories. "I can probably help out with reminding you guys to relax and have some fun sometimes." She reached for Steve as well and found herself on her back with them both hovering over her before she could think any further.

Somehow they both got their lips on hers, at the same time, in that moment. Darcy was just reacting to the multitude of nips and teases of lips and tongues all over her mouth. They overwhelmed her sometimes, but she loved it. She felt completely safe with them to just let go and follow them, knowing she would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this. I do have thoughts of doing week 2 of their road trip sometime. And maybe even doing a few other scenes from the first week. Things that I pondered, but didn't quite fit into the structure of this story as it is. Thank you for reading! :)


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